Carburetor



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. H. WOLPORD.

Y GARBURETOR.

Patented May 1', 188-6.

WITNESSES I Mam-r INVENTOR M 7% W W? ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. \VOLFORD, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

CARBURETOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,299,dated May 4,1886.

Application filed July 15, 1885. Serial No. 171,716. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that T, CHARLES H. WoLFoRD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carburetors; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a central vertical sectional view, and Figs. 2 and 3 represent similar plan views of the basins or pans removed from the case.

My invention has relation to carburetors for generating illuminating-gas from gas-producing fluidssuch as petroleum, naphtha, or gasoline-or any of the other oils or fluids possessing gas-producing properties by subjecting the same to air-pump pressure; and the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A designates the generator case or shell, which consists of a sheet-metal cylinder closed at the top and bottom. Attached to the interior of the generator and on the bottom of the same is a cylindrical air-chamber, B, having perforations B in its top. On the interior of this air-chamber B is a pipe, B", passing down through its center to near the bottom of the said chamber. B indicates a pipe, which leads out of the air-chamber horizontally across the bottom of the generator and extends outside of the generator a sufficient distance to receive a connection with an air-pump. On the outside of the air-chamber and connected with the horizontal pipe B is a short stand-pipe, O, which does not extend quite to the top of the air-chamber B. The space around the air-chamber in the generator is filled with any of the gas-producing oils or fluids until the oil or fluid is on a level with the top of the stand-pipe O.

D designates the lower pan, which is provided with an absorbent float constructedupon a wire frame-work, D, and is supported on the surface of the oil by the buoyancy of cork-woodD", secured to the wire frame.

My object in using cork-wood is on account of its non-absorbent qualities, which acts at all times to keep the absorbent float upon the surface of the oil.

Soldered to the bottom of the generator at as many desired points as are necessary are wire guides E, standing perpendicularly, which pass up through loops E, and serve to keep the absorbent float from coming in contact with the sides of the generator and the air-chamber.

The sponge G, being the absorbent part of the float, has been adopted therewith on account of its well-known absorbent qualities, exceeding that of all other absorbents in which the hydrocarbon oils or gas-producing fluids are absorbed, and through which absorbents is passed the oxygen or atmospheric gases or vapors, thus becoming charged with hydrocarbon oils, thereby forming a very superior illuminating-gas.

' Each of the several pans, H, I, J, K, and L, are in like manner supplied with floats and absorbents similar to those above described.

Beginning now with the lower pan, D,which is the largest of the set of pans, it is provided with a short central pipe, D, which is setinto a T fixture in the air-chamber B, just below the perforated top of the chamber B, and this pan D is thereby held rigidly in place. The pan D is provided with the crow-feet D*, which furnish additional supports for the pan.

Each of the several pans in this machine are provided with crow-feet similar to those, I), just described. The crowfeet are made of gas-pipe, and the vertical portions or stems extend up into the pans to nearly the height of the rim of the pan and form overflow-pipes to the pans, and also serve the purpose of sup ports for the pans above them. The overflow is from the upper pan to the next lower one, and thus on until the fluid has reached the bottom pan.

The fixtures M, secured in the rims of the pans and provided with the short stand-pipes M, are soldered into the rims of the pans close to the bottoms of the pans, and pass out of the pans close to thebottoms of the same. XVhen the pans are in their proper positions, the short stand-pipes at M come directly oppo- ICO site the short stand-pipes at N, and a pipeconnection, X, is made between the outlet from the pan and the outlet from the generator. The object of these fixtures just described is to draw off the oil from the pans when occasion may require.

The stand-pipes N on the outside of the generator open into the horizontal parts N of the fixtures. The upper end, 0, of the standpipe N has an inside diameter threaded to receive a screw-bolt, O, which, when screwed down, makes the opening gas-tight and airtight. The further function of the stand-pipe is, first, when the screw is withdrawn it serves as a vent for the escape of gas or air when filling the carburetor; and, second, it serves to indicate the quantity of oil in each of the several pans with which they connect, thereby showing from an outside view when-any of the pans of the interior require attention or filllug.

Pans I, J, K, and L have equidistant from each other triangular openings P, which serve the purpose of dues for the passage of atmospheric and carbon gases. These flues 1?, when the pans are in proper position,are so arranged that they alternate under each other equidistant apart, and their location causes the gases to pass over the entire surface of oil in the pans.

The wire frames Q, soldered to the inside of the pans, extend from the tops to the bottoms of the pans, and are for the purpose ofsupporting the absorbents.

The arrangement of the sponge or absorbents Q on the wire frames is such that the greatest amount of superficial surface of the absorbents is exposed to the oil in the pans; whether a greater or less quantity of oil is in the pans.

On the top of pan L is placed a ring, It, having a wiregauze top, It. The gauze is a sufficient distance below the top edge of the generator-case to form a gas-chamber, S, between it and the top of the generator-ease when the top of the case is secured to place, and the gas is received into this space or chamber as fast as it is exhausted by feeding it through the supply-pipe to the burners where it is consumed.

The carburetor is closed by an adjustable top or lid, T, which is screwed down upon and into a prepared rim that encircles the top of said carburetor, forming a complete circular packingbox that makes the top perfectly gastight, using, to accomplish this purpose, rubber or asbestus packing, and the lid is held in place by suitable screws or clamps, or by other suitable fastening that will subserve the purpose.

Upon the outside of the top or lid is a screwcapped opening, T, of brass, through which the machine or generator is filled or supplied with oil, which passes first into the top one of U the set of generating pans or basins, commencing just below the gas receiving chamber, thence from the overflow of the first one filled,

filling each basin consecutively, as each overflows, through its overflow-channel,these overflow channels being arranged to receive and carry off any surplus above the maximum fullness which they possess to each other, until all of the said series or sets of basins or pans are filled to their proper working level.

The pipe or fixture 2 on the top of the generator is a snpernumcrary air-inlet, the function of which is (in case of the air-chamber in the bottom of the carburetor accidentally or otherwise becoming flooded with oil) to have an opening through which the air from the airpump passes into the generator, to force the gases out of the generator through the gasoutlct fixture No. 1, which connects with the gas-pipe leading into the house to supply the burners, or to the burners, whether placed in a house, yard, lawn, or street.

The bottom one, Y, of the series or set of brass fittings on the outside of the generator is the air-inlet proper, connecting with an airpump, from whichthe air is forced into the air-chamber, from thence through the series of basins or pans, which are adjustable, rotary, or reversible, and each separately or singly connected or disconnected at pleasure, by means of. a screw -socket of brass or iron threaded tubes z, (soldered in the center of each basin or pan,) of suffieient length to suit the spacing of said basins at proper distances apart, to shorten or lengthen the said spaces at pleasure, by means of the said sockets or threaded tubes, into which aproper length nipple, z, :of metal, is screwed, forming a complete connection therewith, of suificient length or longer or shorter, as the case may require, to give the proper working s'pace,separating said basins or pans at such a distance apart from each other as to produce the most effective means ofproducing gas to their fullest extent in their relative capacity. These pans, or any one of them, may beseparated from each other or the others to alter or rearrange their adjustments, as may be deemed best to suit or serve the purpose of making them still more effective in increasing their correlative capacity by said readjustment.

The two socket-openings Y Y,near the top and bottom of the shell, are for the pet-cocks, to be used in drawing off any surplus supply of oil.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination, with the cylindrical incasement provided with the air-chamber B, having perforations B, and the pipes B and B, the wire guides E, and the pans I, J, K, L, D, and H, withcentral pipes and external guide-loops and triangular openings, the internal wire frameswith absorbent material secured thereto, the vertical overflow-pipes extending up through the bottoms of the pans and provided on their lower ends with crow-feet, the

wire-gauze-bottomed pan with flue-openings, and theremovable cover with the air-inlet,

fluid-inlet, and gas outlet, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the cylindrical incasement provided with the air-inlet, fluidinlet, gas-outlet, and air-pump connection, of the pans having the central threaded pipeseetions and triangular openings, the overflow-pipes, and the wire frames provided with absorbent material, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the pans having the central pipe connections, the overflowpipe, and the triangular opening, of the wire frame provided with absorbent material, substantially as specified.

4. A carburetor consisting of a main case, an oil-ehamber arranged in the bottom there of, and an air-chamber having a perforated top and arranged in the oil-chan1ber, a connection for an air-pump, a vertical series of pans having overflow-pipes and connected by threaded couplings,and an absorbent arranged in the said pans, substantially as specified.

5. A carburetor having a vertical series of evaporating-pans carrying an absorbent, and adapted to be vertically adjusted by means of a central threaded supporting-tube composed of sections forming a continuous passage from the air-chamber to above the upper pan, substantially as specified.

6. In a carburetor, the combination, with the series of evaporating-pans provided with an absorbent, of the inner stand-pipes, M, the outer stand-pipes, N, and the pipes connecting the interior of the pans with the standpipes at the outside of the main ease, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHAS H. VOLEOBD.

\Vitnesses:

J AS. H. DOUGHERTY, BURTON VANCE. 

